Shoe-button.



A. LEAOH.

SHOE BUTTON. APPLICATION FILED AUG. 27', 1912.

1,101,295, Patented June 23, 1914.

SM'UMM om A/flzwieado ARTHUR LEACH, 0F COAL CITY, ILLINOIS.

SHOE-BUTTON.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented June 23, 1914.

Application filed August 27, 1912. Serial No. 717,346.

To all whom it may concern: 1

Be it known that I, ARTHUR LEAOH, a citizen of the United States,residing at Coal City, in the county of Grundy and State of Illinois,have invented new and useful Improvements in Shoe-Buttons, of which thefollowing is a specification.

This invention relates to shoe buttons, the object in view being toprovide a button of the class referred to, embodying a foldable orcollapsible head adapted to be easily inserted through the button holeof the shoe, and then returned to its normal holding position, thusdoing away with the necessity of using a button hook, or otherextraneous device for buttoning the shoe.

With the above and other objects in view,

the invention consists in the construction,

combination and arrangement of parts, as will be hereinafter more fullydescribed, illustrated in the accompanying drawings, and pointed out inthe claim hereunto appended.

In the drawings: Figure 1 is a bottom perspective view of a buttonembodying the present invention. Fig. 2 1s a bottom plan view of thesame. Fig. 3 is a vertical sec tion taken close to the shank, showingthe action of the spring thereon. Fig. 4 is a detail view of the shank.Fig. 5 is a sectional view of a portion of a shoe, showing the relationof the button thereto. Fig. 6 is a detail view of the wire fastener.

The button contemplated in this invention comprises essentially a shank1 having at its outer end a T-shaped head forming oppositely projectingpintles 2 extend ng 1n opposite directions from the center line of theshank, so as to engage between the top and bottom sections of the buttonhead. The button head comprises an outer concavo-convex wall 3, and aninner wall 4, the last-named wall being provided with parallel slitsalong the lines 5, thereby leaving an intervening spring tongue 6 whichbears against the T-shaped head or oppositely projecting pintles of theshank, so as to restrain pivotal movement between the head and shank.countersunk or pressed in suitable dies and ofiset to formsockets 7, inwhich the oppositely projecting pintles of the shank are pivotallyseated, so as to admit of the pivotal action between the shank andbutton head. At its opposite end, the shank is pro- The inner wall ofthe head is vided with a hole 8 adapted to receive a Wire fastener 9which is shaped as shown in Fig. 6, that is to say, said wire fasteneris provided with a single ofiset 10 where it passes through the eye 9,thereby properly offsetting the shank from the flap of the shoe. Theopposite extremities of the wire fastener are bent and extended throughthe flap of the shoe, and then recurved and clenched upon the undersurface of the shoe, as shown at 11, thereby securely fastening thebutton as a whole to the shoe.

It will be observed that the base or back wall of the button headconsists of a spring steel disk provided with parallel cuts which divideoff the central portion of the disk from the side portions, the centralportion extending diametrically of the disk-shaped wall and forming aspring which is bowed inward or toward the top wall of the head so as topass over the shank and pintles and act thereon to resist pivotalmovement between the head and shank. The remaining or side portions ofthe back wall at opposite sides of the spring are dished inwardly inhemispherical form and bowed outwardly on a diametrical lineperpendicular to and at opposite sides of the central gap left by theformation of said spring, to form bearing sockets in which the pintlesare held and adapted to turn.

In operation, it will be understood that preparatory to passing thebutton through the button hole, the head of the button is folded downinto substantially parallel relation to the shank. Then, after thebutton is pushed edgewise through the button hole, the head of thebutton is turned back to a position at right angles to the shank, sothat it lies fiat against the flap of the shoe, adj acent to the buttonhole thereof.

What is claimed is:

A shoe button comprising a T-shaped shank embodying oppositelyprojecting pintles, and a pivotal and non-detachable head embodyingfront and back walls, the back wall consisting of a spring steel diskprovided with parallel cuts leaving a central diametrically extendingportion forming a spring which is bowed inwardly over the shank andpintles and acts thereon to resist pivotal movement between the head andshank, the remaining portions of the back wall at opposite sides of thespring being dished inwardly in hemispherical form and bowed outwardlyon a diametrical line per- In witness whereof I aflix my signaturependicular hi i md at fp ifosite sides of the in testimony of twowitnesses. central gap et by t e ormation of said spring, to formbearing sockets in which the ARTHUR LEAGH 5 pintles are held and adaptedto turn, both Witnesses:

said. bearing sockets and said spring being WILLIAM SOMERVILLE, integralparts of said disk. FRANK LEAOH.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressingthe Commissioner of intents, 7

Washington, D. G.

